Car coupler



Dec. 28 1926.

w. KELSO CAR COUPLER Filed Dec. 29, 1924 2 Shoets-Sheet 1 Dec. 28 1926.1,612,775

W. KELSO cAn couLER Filed Dec. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec,28, 1926,

WILLIAM KELSO, 033 PITTSB'UEGH, PENNEYLVANIA.

CAR COUPLER.

Application filed December 29, 1924.

My invention relates to car couplers of the Master Car Builders type andparticularly to the standard El -coupler. lVhile the invention isespecially applicable to the D- coupler it is to be understood that theimprovements claimed are not limited thereto.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a lock lifting devicefor a coupler of the D-type which is or simple form and 0 affords aplurality of means for preventing an accidental unlocking movement ofthe coupler lock, the said means being designed to function successivelyso that one may be effective in the event the other fails to act. Theprincipal feature of the invention, generally stated, consists inassociating with the coupler head, a rotatable knuckle, and a lock forsaid knuckle, a lock actuating device which is slidably and rotatablyconnected to the lock and involves a member capable of assuming aplurality of positions in either of which it cooperates with the couplerhead to prevent accidental unlocking of the lock. A more specificfeature of the invention consists in providing, in combination with acoupler head, a rotatable knuckle, and a lock for said knuckle, a lockactuating device involving upper and lower members which are connectedso as to be capable of sliding and rotating with respect to said lockand upon each other, the said lower member having a portion adapted toproject rearwardly of the lock so as to engage the coupler head andthereby prevent accidental unlocking of the lock, and also having aportion adapted to engage the coupler head above the lock for thepurpose of preventing accidental unlocking of the latter, said portionsof the lower member being adapted to engage the coupler head alternatelyso as to provide both primary and supplementary or auxiliary means forlooking the lock in locked position.

A still further feature of the invention consists in the combinationwith a coupler head, a rotatable knuckle, and a vertically sliding andrearwardly swinging lock for said knuckle having an upwardly andrearwardly opening slot, of a device for actuating said lock, saiddevice being rotatably Serial No. 758,703,

connected to said lock and comprising two slidably and rotatablyconnected members one of which is adapted to cooperate with the couplerhead at a plurality of points 5 so as to provide both primary andauxiliary means for preventing the lock from accidentally moving tounlocked position, said device having at its lower end trunnionsreceived by the slot of the lock, and means being provided for limitingthe extent of relative rotation of said lock actuating members.

Other features of the invention relating to advantageous combinations ofparts and de tails of construction will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illustrating the invention as embodied in a standardD-type coupler,-

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a car coupler embodying theinvention, the lock and its actuating mechanism being in elevation andthe parts being shown in the positions they normally assume when thecoupler is locked. t

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the relations ofthe parts when the auxiliary lock-to-the-lock is operating to preventaccidental unlocking of the coupler.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the relations of the partswhen the lock has been cause-d to perform an extended unlocking movementfor actuating the knuckle opener of the coupler.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail elevational views of the lock lifting device.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 66, Fig. 3.

The invention is especially suited for e1n bodiment in lD-couplers whichare to-be applied to freight cars, as the locks of such couplers aregenerally actuated by a lock lifter which extends upwardly through anopeningin the top wall of the coupler head, and mechanism involving thepresent inven-- tion may be substituted for the form of top operatinglock litter member now commonly used in the lT -coupler withoutnecessitating any departure in the design of other elements of thecoupler.

The knuckle of the D-coupler is retained in coupled relation by means ofan upwardly ISO sliding and rearwardly swinging lock. The top operatinglock lifter heretofore employed for actuating the lock has been formedas a single rigid piece slidably and rotatably connected to the lock,the lower end of the lifter member being adapted to extend under aportion of the coupler head when the parts are in locked position so asto provide means for preventing an accidental unlocking of the lock. If,however, as has been known to happen, this common. form of lifter movesupwardly with respect to the lock as a result of the jars and shockswhich the coupler receives in service or because of the slight workingof the parts upon each other under imposed strains, the lock is freedfrom the control of the an t-icreep means and may ultimately assume anunlocked position permitting accidental parting of the train. By myinvention means are provided whereby in the event of failure of theprimary means for preventing accidental unlocking of the locksupplemental means will operate to that end.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the coupler head. It is provided as usual*ith a rotatable knuckle (not shown) normally maintained in coupledposition by means of a vertically sliding and rearwardly swinging lock 2having a depending leg 3 which projects downwardly through an opening 4:in the lower wall of the head when the parts are in locked relation.When the parts are in normal locked position the lock 2 rests upon therotatable knuckle opener 5 which latter is actuated by the dependinglock leg 3 when the lock 2 swings rearwardly in performing an extendedunlocking movement.

The lock 2 is actuated by a lifter device which projects upwardlythrough an open ing 6 in the top wall 7 of the coupler head, said liftermechanism being brought to assembled position within the coupler head bybeing introduced through the mouth of the latter.

The lock 2 is formed with an upwardly and rearwardly openin slot 8 forreceiving the lower member of the lifting device, the lower wall of saidslot being inclined downwardly toward the rear of the lock. The sidewalls of the slot 8 are provided with the usual recesses 9 forrespectively receiving the oppositely disposed trunnions 10 with whichthe lock lifting device is furnished at its lower end. The trunnions 1Oserve to connect the lock lifting means to the lock in a mannerpermitting said means to slide and rotate with respect to the lock.

The device for actuating the lock 2 comprises two movably connectedmembers 11 and 12, respectively, the former being fashioned with theintegrally connected trunnions 10 at its lower end and the latterpreferably being provided at its upper end outside of the coupler headwith an opening 13 afi ording means for attaching the lock actuatingmechanism to a suitable uncoupling rod or release rigging in a wellknown manner. Near its upper end the lifter member 12 is preferablyprovided with a lug or shoulder 1% which normally overlies the top wall7 of the coupler head when the parts are in locked relation. said liftermember imn'iediately below said shoulder being, as shown in Fig. 2, ofsuch width as not to interfere with the effective cooperz-ition of theupper end of the lifter member 11 with the top wall 7 of the couplerhead in the performance of its function of locking the lock againstaccidental unlocking. It will be appreciated that if the width of thelifter member 12 should be unduly increased the movement of said liftermember through the opening 6 in the top wall of the coupler head duringan accidental upward movement of the lifter mechanism would have atendency to effect a rotation of the lower lifter member 11 resulting inmoving the upper end of the latter toward a position. permitting it toenter said opening 6.

The lower end of the lock lifter member 11 is formed with a projectionor shoulder 15 which, when the parts are in normal locked position,protrudes rearwardly from the lock 2 and extends under the usualanticreep shoulder or look down lug 16 with which the D-coupler head isprovided on its interior. The lifter members 11 and 12 are slidably androtatably connected, such connection preferably being effected byfurnishing the upper end of the lower member 11 with a slot 17 whichreceives a rivet or pivot member 18 carried by the upper lifter member12. The lower end of the number 12 is preferably bifurcated to form jaws19 between which the upper slotted end of the member 11 is received,said aws constituting shoulders or lugs which are adapted to cooperatewith corresponding shoulders or lugs 20 on the member 11 to limit therelative rotation of the upper and lower lifter members so as to preventtheir joint from breaking rearwardly of the coupler, thereby ensuringthat the parts of the lifter mechanism will reassume proper lockedrelation to the lock when the latter returns to locked position afterhaving been lifted.

The upper end 21 of the lower lock lifter member 11 is adapted to engagethe inner surface of the upper wall 7 of the coupler head, as shown inFig. 2, to prevent accidental unlocking of the coupler lock 2. In thenormal locked relation of parts the co operation of the lower end 15 ofthe lifter member 11 with the lock down shoulder 16 of the couplerhead-prevents unlocking of the lock; but if the cooperating antiereepshoulders 15 and 16 should be accidentally displaced from cooperativerelation the up ward or unlocking movement of the lock 2 is arrested-bythe upper face or end portion 21 of the liftermember 11 coming-intocontact with" the top wall'of the coupler head, A pluralityofalternately or successively operatingmeans is thus provided for lockingthe lockinlocked position; and it will be perceived thatbecause theserelated means operate alternately there is no practical possibility ofan accidental unlocking movement of the loo 1 2 which would result inuncoupling. When it is desired to cause the lock to perform an unlockingmovement the jointed lock lifter device is pulled upwardly, asillustrated in Fig. 3. The first upward movement of the upper liftermember 12 causes the lower end 15 of the member 11 to be withdrawn frombeneath the anticreep lug 16 of the coupler head, such movement beingaccompanied by a relative rotation of said member 11 with respect to thelock 2 and the upper lifter member 12 sutiicient to move the upper endof the member 11 from beneath the top wall of the coupler head andpermit it to pass out through the opening 6 in said Wall. Continuedupward pulling upon the lifter member 12 causes the lock to execute itsunlocking movement.

The expressions employed in describing the preferred embodiment of theinvention illustrated in the drawings are not to be understood as termsof limitation, because many changes in details of construction might bemade within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

I claim 1. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, arotatable knuckle, and a lock for said knuckle, of means for actuatingsaid lock to cause it to assume unlocked position, said means beingslidably and rotatably connected to said lock and involving a memberadapted to assume a plurality of positions in each of which it engages adifferent part of said head to prevent accidental unlocking of saidlock, said member and lock being slidable with respect to each other topermit said member normally to move to one of said positions when thelock is in locked position.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, a rotatableknuckle, and a lock for said knuckle, of means for-actuating said lockto cause it to assume unlocked position, said means being movablyconnected to said lock and involving a plurality of movably connectedmembers, one of said members being provided with a plurality of facesalternately adapted by sliding with respect to the lock to engage saidcoupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of said lock.

In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, a rotatableknuckle, and a lock for said knuckle, of means for actuating said lockto cause it to assume unlocked position, said means involving aplurality of slidably' and rotatab-ly connected members one of which.slidably engages said lock and isprovided with a plurality of facesalternately adaptedto engage said coupler head to prevent accidentalunlocking of said lock.

111 a :ar coupler, the combination with a coupler head, a rotatableknuckle, and a lock for said knuckle, of means for actuating said lockto cause it to assume unlocked position, said means being slidably androtatably connected to said lock and involving a plurality of membershaving a pin and slot connection permitting said members to slide androtate with respect to each other, said lock being provided with a slotwhich opens through a plurality of faces of said lock, and one of saidmembers of said lock actuating means extending into said slot and beingprovided with a plurality of faces which are alternately adapted toengage said coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of said lock.

5. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, a rotatableknuckle, and a vertically sliding and rearwardly swinging lock for saidknuckle having an upwardly and rearwardly opening slot, of means foractuating said lock to cause it to assume unlocked position, said meansinvolving a member provided with trunnions received by said slot andserving to connect said member to said lock in a manner permitting saidmember to slide and rotate with respect to said lock, and said memberbeing provided with a, plurality of faces which are alternately adaptedto engage said coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of saidlock.

6. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, a rotatableknuckle, and a lock for said knuckle, of means for actuating said lockto cause it to assume unlocked position, said means involving aplurality of slidably and rotatably connected members, one of saidmembers being slidably and rotatably connected to said lock and having aplurality of faces which are alternately adapted to engage said head toprevent accidental unlocking of said lock, said members being providedwith cooperating means for limiting their relative rotation in onedirection, and one of said members being adapted to cooperate with saidhead to limit relative rotation of said members in the oppositedirection.

7 In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, a rotatableknuckle, and a lock for said. knuckle having an upwardly and rearwardlyopening slot, of means for actuating said lock to cause it to assumeunlocked position, said means involving upper and lower membersconnected so as to be capable of sliding and rotating with respect toeach other and provided with cooperating parts adapted to engage eachother to limit Cir llU

relative rearward rotation of said members, said lower member extendinginto said slot and having a portion adapted to project rearwardlytherethrough so as to engage said head to prevent accidental unlockingof said lock, a portion of said lower member being adapted to engagesaid head above said lock to prevent accidental unlocking of said lock,and said lower member being provided with trunnions slidabiy engagingand forming an 10 operative connection with said lock.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WVILLIAM KELSO.

